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Trade Union Membership in Eastern and Western Germany: Convergence or Divergence?

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Author Info
Schnabel, Claus (University of Erlangen-Nuremberg)
Wagner, Joachim () (University of Lueneburg, HWWA Hamburg and IZA Bonn)

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Abstract

An empirical analysis of various waves of the ALLBUS social survey shows that the level and the structure of unionization has become more and more similar in eastern and western Germany in the period 1992 to 2000. The originally high level of union density in eastern Germany has dropped below that of western Germany, and union membership has been falling steadily in both parts of the country since 1992. Repeated cross-sectional analyses indicate that the factors influencing individuals’ probability of union membership have converged over time between western and eastern Germany. After an assimilation period of about ten years the same set of variables can be used to explain unionization in post-socialist eastern Germany and in traditionally capitalist western Germany.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in its series IZA Discussion Papers with number 707.

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Length: 29 pages
Date of creation: Jan 2003
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Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp707

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Related research
Keywords: trade union membership; Germany; micro data;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
J51 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Trade Unions: Objectives, Structure, and Effects

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Bulkley, G. & Myles, G.D., 1996. "Individually Rational Union Membership," Discussion Papers 96/12, University of Exeter, School of Business and Economics.
    Other versions:
  2. Gerlinde Sinn & Hans-Werner Sinn, 1994. "Jumpstart: The Economic Unification of Germany," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262691728.
  3. van den Berg, Annette & Groot, Wim, 1992. "Union Membership in the Netherlands: A Cross-Sectional Analysis," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 537-64.
  4. George A. Akerlof, 1978. "A theory of social custom, of which unemployment may be one consequence," Special Studies Papers 118, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    Other versions:
  5. Joseph R. Antos & Mark Chandler & Wesley Mellow, 1980. "Sex differences in union membership," Industrial and Labor Relations Review, ILR Review, ILR School, Cornell University, vol. 33(2), pages 162-169, January.
  6. Sarosh Kuruvilla & Daniel G. Gallagher & Jack Fiorito & Mitsuru Wakabayashi, 1990. "Union participation in Japan: Do Western theories apply?," Industrial and Labor Relations Review, ILR Review, ILR School, Cornell University, vol. 43(4), pages 374-389, April.
  7. Naylor, Robin & Cripps, Martin, 1993. "An economic theory of the open shop trade union," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 37(8), pages 1599-1620, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  8. Naylor, Robin, 1990. "A social custom model of collective action," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 6(2), pages 201-216, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  9. Monroe Berkowitz, 1954. "The economics of trade union organization and administration," Industrial and Labor Relations Review, ILR Review, ILR School, Cornell University, vol. 7(4), pages 575-578, July.
  10. Neumann, George R & Rissman, Ellen R, 1984. "Where Have All the Union Members Gone?," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 2(2), pages 175-92, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Addison, John T. & Bellmann, Lutz & Schnabel, Claus & Wagner, Joachim, 2002. "German Works Councils Old and New: Incidence, Coverage and Determinants," IZA Discussion Papers 495, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
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  12. Booth, Alison L & Chatterji, Monojit, 1993. "Reputation, Membership and Wages in Open Shop Trade Union," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 45(1), pages 23-41, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  13. Booth, Alison L & Chatterji, Monojit, 1995. "Union Membership and Wage Bargaining When Membership is Not Compulsory," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 105(429), pages 345-60, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  14. Nicola-Maria Riley, 1997. "Determinants of Union Membership: A Review," LABOUR, CEIS, Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini and Blackwell Publishing Ltd, vol. 11(2), pages 265-301, 06. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  15. Naylor, Robin & Raaum, Oddbjorn, 1993. "The Open Shop Union, Wages, and Management Opposition," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 45(4), pages 589-604, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  16. Wagner, Joachim, 1990. "Gewerkschaftsmitgliedschaft und Arbeitseinkommen in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Eine ökonometrische Analyse mit Individualdaten," Diskussionspapiere der Wirtschaftswissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Universität Hannover dp-155, Universität Hannover, Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät.
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  18. Jones, Stephen R G & McKenna, C J, 1994. "A Dynamic Model of Union Membership and Employment," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 61(242), pages 179-89, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Full references

Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Laszlo Goerke & Markus Pannenberg, 2008. "Risk Aversion and Trade Union Membership," SOEPpapers 88, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. Schnabel, Claus & Wagner, Joachim, 2003. "Determinants of Trade Union Membership in Western Germany: Evidence from Micro Data, 1980-2000," IZA Discussion Papers 708, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  3. Claus Schnabel & Joachim Wagner, 2005. "Who are the workers who never joined a union? Empirical evidence from Germany," Working Paper Series in Economics 12, University of Lüneburg, Institute of Economics. [Downloadable!]
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  4. Bernd Fitzenberger & Karsten Kohn & Qingwei Wang, 2006. "The Erosion of Union Membership in Germany: Determinants, Densities, Decompositions," IZA Discussion Papers 2193, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
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  5. Goerke, Laszlo & Pannenberg, Markus, 2003. "Norm-Based Trade Union Membership: Evidence for Germany," IZA Discussion Papers 962, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
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  6. Joachim Wagner & Claus Schnabel, 2006. "The persistent decline in unionization in western and eastern Germany, 1980-2004: What can we learn from a decomposition analysis?," Working Paper Series in Economics 31, University of Lüneburg, Institute of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  7. Schnabel, Claus & Wagner, Joachim, 2008. "The Aging of the Unions in West Germany, 1980–2006," IZA Discussion Papers 3661, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
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  8. John T. Addison & Claus Schnabel & Joachim Wagner, 2006. "The (Parlous) State of German Unions," IZA Discussion Papers 2000, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
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  9. Claus Schnabel & Joachim Wagner, 2006. "The Persistent Decline in Unionization in Western and Eastern Germany, 1980-2004: What Can We Learn from a Decomposition Analysis?," IZA Discussion Papers 2388, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
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  10. Dustmann; Christian & Schönberg, Uta, 2004. "Training and Union Wages," IZA Discussion Papers 1435, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
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  11. Schnabel, Claus & Wagner, Joachim, 2005. "Determinants of Union Membership in 18 EU Countries: Evidence from Micro Data, 2002/03," IZA Discussion Papers 1464, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
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